Erol Akçay

Erol Akçay is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with the Department of Biology. His research interests include computational biology, ecology and biodiversity, evolution, plant biology, neurobiology, behavior, and physiology. He is associated with the Evolution Cluster, the Warren Center for Network and Data Sciences, and the Social and Cultural Evolution Working Group at Penn. Akçay's work explores the evolution of complex biological and social organization, focusing on how individuals with conflicting interests evolve to cooperate in various contexts. He teaches courses such as BIOL 2610: Ecology: From Individuals to Ecosystems and BIOL 4517: Theoretical Population Biology. His research includes topics like plant-microbe mutualisms, animal and human behavior, and the dynamics of cooperation and social learning.

Erol Akçay is an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in ecology, evolutionary biology, social evolution, mutualism, and theoretical biology. His research explores the dynamics of social interactions, evolutionary games, and the mechanisms underlying mutualistic relationships. Akçay investigates how ecological and social factors shape the evolution of cooperation, cheating, and social inheritance in animal populations. His work integrates theoretical models with empirical data to understand the balance between individual and group interests in ecological communities. He also examines the role of cultural transmission and network structures in shaping social behaviors and evolutionary outcomes.